GIANTS NOTEBOOK, DECEMBER 31, 2008

By Michael Eisen

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.
– On a typical Wednesday during the football season, Tom Coughlin will
give a detailed introduction of the Giants’ upcoming opponent before the
team begins a full day of practice and meetings.

Today, however, no introductions were needed. Nor, frankly, were they
possible. The Giants will not know until Sunday the identity of their opponent
for the NFC Divisional Playoff Game to be played in Giants Stadium on Jan. 11.
It will be NFC East rival Philadelphia if the
Eagles win in Minnesota
on Sunday. If the Vikings come out on top, the Giants will face the winner of
Saturday’s Arizona-Atlanta game.

But the mystery of the unknown is not preventing the Giants from
working. They held their first bye week practice today and the emphasis,
instead of preparing for a specific opponent, was simply improvement.

“The first thing we talk about doing, okay, is recognizing the
areas that we really have to improve upon,” Coughlin said. “And
knowing that we only have this moment to improve; that is all we have. And this
is why we have to focus on improvement and we talk about different aspects of
it - what we have done as coaches is taken the big areas, the big areas of our
team – first and second downs, third down, the green area, two-minute
– we have taken those things and we have analyzed them over the course of
the season.

“We selected different areas where we want improvement, things
that we really count on that maybe aren’t being done as well as they
should be done. And we study them, we present them to the players. Today was
mostly first and second down with a little third. We will get third down and
green area on Friday when we come in. We did defensive two-minute, we will do
offensive two-minute. So the whole thing is, ‘How is the other guy
looking at us right now; what does he see when he looks at us and can we
improve in those areas?’”

The Giants finished 12-4 in the regular season but were 1-3 in
December. That mark ensures the players won’t enter postseason play
thinking they must do little more than put on their uniforms and show up.

“It is a great opportunity for us,” quarterback Eli Manning
said. “We had a great practice today. It is really a time to work at
things, look at some things we have done over the last four or five weeks and
evaluate that to see where we can improve, really get specific with things we
have to work on. That was our goal today. I thought we did a good job of doing
that. We will watch the games this weekend and see what happens and get
excited about our game next Sunday.”

“It’s self-evaluation,” tackle David Diehl said.
“You see what you need to do individually and as a unit to become better
and that’s what we’ve done so far. We’ve broken down run
plays and pass plays just to see what we’ve done well, what we
haven’t done well, things we need to work on. I’m not going to tell
you specifically what we are doing, but you watch what you’ve done
throughout the season, especially these last five games. A zebra doesn’t
change its stripes. What you do and what your identity is, that’s what
you are. You’re never going to change that, but there are little things
you can flip around and switch to make yourself more successful.”

Defensively, the Giants want to tighten up their run defense. They did
not allow an individual 100-yard rusher in any of the first 12 games. But they
surrendered three in the final four contests, including the Vikings’
Adrian Peterson in last week’s 20-19 loss in the regular season finale.
In addition, the team has given up a touchdown run of at least 30 yards in each
of those final four games.

“We just have to do a better job of our overall technique of
being in the gap at the right place, making tackles, and penalty wise - not
letting the offense get free plays against us,” defensive tackle Fred
Robbins said. “As far as defensive linemen, we have to do a better job of
creating havoc in the pocket with our pass rush, getting off blocks, not
getting pushed off the ball, and being run gap conscious and stuff like that.
So a lot of things we control ourselves.”

Coughlin said the big plays are not the result of one player being out
of position.

“There are any number,” he said. “When we talked
about that today there is no – I’m not putting the blame on
anybody, I’m just telling you it has to stop. That is basically the way I
say it. And also, on the other side of the ball we have to make plays. There
are plays there to be made now. I realize where we in the big play category
with the past, but there have been plays there to be made and we have to make
those plays. So when you get into the playoffs you are in a single-elimination
tournament, you have the opportunity to make those plays, they are going to be
there for you, but you have to take advantage of it.”

The other benefit of the bye week is that everyone on the team gets a
much-needed rest after playing a game for 13 consecutive weeks and the injured
players get an additional week to heal. Starters Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss, Barry Cofield
and Aaron Ross missed the Minnesota
game. Coughlin is hopeful all will be in uniform for the Giants’ postseason
opener.

Of course, it’s been more than five months since the Giants
reported to training camp and this is just the second week since the beginning
of August that the Giants will not play a game. So this is all a little
strange.

“It’s weird, but it’s something that we’ve
earned,” Diehl said. “It’s something that we have worked to
do and every weekend you want to play football but for us, having a bye week
early in the season, this is time for us to heal up, get everybody back on
schedule, recharge and get ready to go for the second season. What we did in
the regular season doesn’t matter. This is a one game elimination. We are
all fighting for one goal and that is to be champions. So having this week is
different for us but the way we are preparing, studying and approaching things
– we are excited.”

“It’s definitely important,” wide receiver Amani
Toomer said. “We played 13 games in a row because our bye week was very
early, so I think it’s much needed for a lot of guys on this team.

“It’s a little different (not playing), but I think
it’s something we’ve earned and we’re trying to get better
and self-scout what we’re doing. We’re trying to stay sharp, stay
in shape, and keep the momentum going.”

*The players are split on whether they’ll watch this
weekend’s Wild Card games. Some want to get away from football. Toomer
said he might check on the Philadelphia-Minnesota game on Sunday. And then
there’s Manning, who is looking forward to watching the games and
particularly his brother Peyton and the Indianapolis Colts Saturday at San Diego.

“I will watch all the games,” Manning said. “We have
nothing planned Saturday and Sunday and it is a great opportunity to sit and
watch a lot of football.”

*Coughlin was asked if it is “flattering” that defensive
coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has drawn interest from several teams seeking a
head coach.

“I don’t know about the word
‘flattering,’’’ Coughlin said. “Am I surprised by
it? Of course not. Not at all. So we will see where that goes. Steve is very,
very well thought of by our organization and he knows that. So we will see
where that goes.”

Coughlin said Spagnuolo’s potential job interviews do not create
a distraction as the Giants prepare for the playoffs.

“Not at all,” Coughlin said. “He doesn’t miss a
beat.”

*The Giants will have New Year’s Day off and practice again on
Friday.

*The Giants signed wide receiver Paul Raymond to their practice squad. Raymond
signed with the Jets as a rookie free agent on May 2 and was waived on Aug. 30.
He then spent two stints on their practice squad, the last of which ended on
Sept. 29. From Oct. 14 to Dec. 23, Raymond was on the Detroit Lions’
practice squad.

At Brown University, Raymond caught 116 passes
for 1,800 yards. As a senior, he was named second-team All-Ivy League after
finishing second in the league and ninth in the nation with 97.8 receiving
yards a game. A native of Florida, he starred
at Miami Senior High School. He was born on May
5, 1986.

This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United States
Olympic Committee (USOC), or the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of any country.

Disclaimer Notice: By providing links to other Web Sites, Sports Features Communications® does
not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these web sites, nor does a link
indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked Web Site to http://www.sportsfeatures.com.